Goodheart Productions was started about 20 years ago by David Goodheart, a lifelong resident of Illinois. Fascinated by trains since childhood, David grew to love big, mainline steam locomotives working hard or running fast anywhere in the world. His passion became documenting such action for future generations before it faded from the world scene. He used professional videography equipment and strove to maintain the highest standards in what he released for sale. His travels took him to over 20 countries and all across the United States, where he was an active supporter of the many steam engine restoration projects and crews. He also made serious rail enthusiasts and photographers happy by arranging private photo charters so they could photograph steam locomotives and period train consists in properly staged events that recreated as much as possible the visual and audio appeal of a bygone era. His efforts have been often imitated and today a number of people and organizations sponsor historic freight and passenger photo events as part of their annual fund raising activities.

David Goodheart died prematurely at age 57 on November 10, 2004 at his home in Chicago. Several friends helped preserve this business and his original footage collection and continue to make his programs available. It has been a difficult transition due to logistical and other reasons. We are converting more of his past programs to DVD format and intend, in the near future, to produce new programs from David’s vast files of raw video footage and the video and film footage of his friends. We also intend to produce more educational and documentary-type programs, as well as those suitable to a broad range of general audiences and children of all ages. Another one of our passions is the preservation of archival photographs, negatives, movies, videos and so on related to the history of railroads in the USA as well as overseas. We intend to maintain the highest levels of quality the subject matter content will allow.

We also want to produce programs that you want to buy. As you can appreciate, this is a business and revenues must exceed expenses. We know that the audience for videos is changing, caused by demographics, the many other entertainment options available to everyone, a lack of new entrants (e.g. young people) into the railroad / train hobby, less public awareness of railroads in general and so on.

We would love to hear from you concerning the types of programs you would like to see and buy. At first, we will concentrate on our archival files full of mostly domestic US (but some very good foreign) steam footage, shot from roughly 1980 to today. We continue to shoot steam footage as circumstances and good events permit. We can shoot new subjects, or package subjects in varying ways (e.g. compilations, more educational formats, “oral history interviews” and so on). Please let us know what you might be interested in:

• Archival (regular service) steam or diesel or ?? – which subjects?
• Newly photographed steam or diesel or ??
• Tourist railroad souvenir programs?
• Interviews with people prominent in the hobby?
• “How to do it” or “Behind the Scenes” programs?
• Educational programs – what subjects? Aimed at whom?
• Travelogue-type programs – to where? Aimed at what audience?
• Should we convert all our foreign programs to DVD?
• Would you like more foreign programs? Of what subject(s)?
• Would you like us to transfer more domestic steam movie footage (fantrips are easier) or diesel movie footage to video?
• Would you like CD photo albums of still pictures? What subjects?
• Would you be interested in helping us with archival preservation?

E-MAIL US AT: INFO@GOODHEARTVIDEO.COM